Where is Your Heart?

It was just going to be a comment attached to Josie"s "Kumpisal" but at the last minute I felt that her post needed a more serious look-into and a more heartfelt response, if only to let her know that she did not have to bear "that" burden alone.

Her post reveals a truly compassionate spirit which is sadly lacking in today's "what-about-me, what's -in- it- for-me" world.

We all care, of course, for what and who immediately belong to us, family, possessions, and ourselves. We are mostly willing to make sacrifices for them, if need be. What is ours is ours to hold, protect and preserve.

A lot of us , however, do not see the necessity to extend this care and concern to those outside our inner circle. You have heard this before, "Charity begins at home". Sadly, many only think of "home" as their very limited, restricted, restrictive self-interest.

The act of giving has become to most people just a means to gain approval, praise, recognition, access to a collectable favour. The core of this act is nothing but the all important "self".

But occasionally, there are people who look beyond their self-populated comfort zone and try to reach out to those who are in greater need than themselves. They see needs and hear unvoiced cries for help because in their breast beats a truly generous heart. They feel unfeigned compassion. They ache for the less fortunate. They share whatever they have willingly, however meager the offering. They put themselves out to comfort, and - if an opportunity presents itself- to motivate others to do likewise. They may not always be able to do what they, with all their hearts, seek to do to alleviate others' sufferings but they can not be faulted for trying their best.

Some, like Josie, go even farther than this. They actually bear others' pain to such extent that perceived failure to do something becomes a personal defeat and manifests as a pathogenic discomfort.

JRI Orion Batch 1963 has been involved in many charitable deeds over the years. There are those whose lives are testimonies to the unstinting generosity of the Batch, however limited its resources, however many brickbats are thrown in by its critics for its efforts . As they say in the Bible, "you will always have the poor with you". But it is no excuse for not trying to do what we can to help. To have people (and, thankfully, we do have many such batchmates) like Josie in our midst and to be a part of this caring batch is a privilege.